


Wrath and Envy

by weatherflonium



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: F/F, Festivals, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 11:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6193927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weatherflonium/pseuds/weatherflonium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hecatia brings Junko to a festival in the Former Hell, though Junko doesn't really take to the festivities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrath and Envy

Junko was unsure why she'd agreed to accompany Hecatia to the Former Hell. There was something about the place which did not sit well with her, whether it was the stale underground air or the perpetually loud, bright streets of the sole, ramshackle city. Junko never remembered a time where she'd attended a festival of her own volition, other than as part of a grander plan; she certainly had never attended an _oni_ festival, which seemed a hundred times more… _festive_ than the few human celebrations she could recall. Wasteful spectacle, all of it.

It had been more bearable when Hecatia was leading her around; she had a better sense for the  occasion. Junko wasn't sure what part of being a hell goddess required nigh-encyclopaedic knowledge of  festival attractions, but  from how adeptly Hecatia guided her through the city's grounds, it must have been a  highly crucial task. Still, after an encounter with a devious “goldfish scooping game” (which Junko remained convinced was a plot by Chang'e to humiliate her, no matter what Hecatia said), Hecatia had run across an aquaintance of hers, some huge, blonde oni with one red horn; the two had ducked inside one of the city's disproportionate amount of inns to catch up;  after several minutes thoroughly lost in the conversation, Junko excused herself.

Hecatia waved her off with a smile, and told her to “go mingle”.

Junko did not  _mingle_ .

She  set off down the road, blocking out the clamor and chaos of the surrounding oni throngs. Hecatia had furnished her with a crudely-drawn map of the city: while barely legible and reeking of sake, she at least trusted it around the main streets.  (The numerous points marked “good booze” were probably also trustworthy, given the map's likely source. ) 

Hearing a sudden clamour behind her, Junko reflexivly ducked as a piece of cobblestone soared over her head. Just as quickly, she dodged to the side as a pair of oni rushed by, the first furiously swinging a sake gourd behind her to fend off the second. Judging from the road behind the duo, an errant swing had dislodged the stone. Junko could hardly deny the strength of the oni; perhaps they could be useful in another strike against Chang'e, if they could be properly directed. The fairies had proven effective enough, though Junko wondered whether fairies or oni would show a better grasp of strategy. Glancing again at the squabbling pair, now lodged halfway through a cabbage vendor's stall, she decided that it would probably prove too close to call.

T he brightly-lit boulevards of the oni city soon gave way to equally brightly-lit, but far more  precariously built , clusters of wooden huts, the sound of the celebrating oni  now quieter but more concentrated.  The sorry excuses for buildings wobbled uncertainly with each bellow and roar, and Junko  decided she had no reason to be in this part of the city. Paying minimal heed to the passing clusters of obviously-drunk oni, she continued out of the city at an appropriately cautious pace.

By the time she paused to catch her bre- _reassess the situation_ , she had reached the furthest recesses of the city; here, the trappings of the festival had finally  fallen behind her , and the distant, drunken hollering of the city's residents had faded to a  dim, steady buzz.  There were still small clusters of oni lingering in the streets, but nothing like the  inescapable throngs of the inner city. There were no side streets now, only one weathered cobblestone road dotted with half-built structures.. This place left a lingering sense of why this was the  _Former_ Hell;  the outskirts of the city had none of the vibrance of the inner city, instead feeling vastly and incredibly empty. Junko had seen a great deal of emptiness, on the surface of the moon and in the void around it, but these structures were empty in a different sense: the moon was vast and featureless, but this sk eletal  city had been built, lived in, and deserted.

Junko kept walking. She had no need for aimless contemplation.  Soon enough, even the city’s bones faded, leaving only an empty plain. Junko was uncertain now how long she had been walking; hopefully Hecatia would not have cause for concern. There was little down here that could pose a direct threat to her, but Hecatia’s concerns did not always seem purely pragmatic.

The silence in the plains was comforting, after the clamor of the city; while the oni festival behind her was in full swing, all Junko could hear now was the sound of running water. Coming over a hill, she saw a large, wooden bridge built across a vast river, in  surprisingly good condition for its distance from the city.  Beyond the bridge, the view of the underground tapered off towards a near-seamless wall. The underground’s exit, Junko reasoned; there was no need to go that far.

Instead, she walked out onto the bridge, staring down at the water below. She briefly wondered how such a river came to flow through Hell, and where it might drain; perhaps it simply boiled off in the flames below, but according to Hecatia they had only recently been re-ignited. There was the further question of what purpose the river had served; if the bridge led to the surface, it could be a barrier, but Junko had no doubt that no river of any length could seriously deter a determined oni. Her thoughts concluded for the moment, Junko stared out into the silence.

Silence was always temporary.  “Ehh?” Junko suddenly heard a woman’s voice behind her; slighty raspy, and unquestionably mocking. “So there’s people who can still pull off formal stuff like this.” There was a tug on the sleeve of Junko’s robe. “I’m jealous.”

J unko slowly turned, a single eyebrow raised. Behind her was a short, narrow-eyed woman with  short, messy blonde hair, green eyes, and two notably pointy ears. The woman was staring at Junko as if appraising her. Her face seemed frozen halfway between an apprehensive smirk and a frown, and her jaw moved as if she were silently grinding her teeth. “And you are?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one on my bridge.” The woman huffed. “All of you, coming and going as you like… I’m jealous.”

J unko stared at her over her shoulder, completely impassive. “Did you need something?” Another, more pronounced huff was the woman’s only response. Junko kept her stare levelled at the woman, who was answering with a glare of her own.

“Eh, so you’re not reacting at all?” The woman frowned. “Such a cool head. I’m jeal-”

“I understand the gist.” Junko turned away to stare out over the side of the bridge, leaving the woman staring daggers into the back of her head.

The other woman groaned, rolling her eyes. “So high and mighty.” She made a show out of silently mouthing ‘I’m jealous’. “We can’t all be a...” she furrowed her brow, “a whatever you are.  Some of us need to eat. ”  She curtsied exagerratedly. “Parsee Mizuhashi, youkai of jealousy.  At your service.”

“Junko.”

“That’s all?” The woman, Parsee, shrugged. “Must make some things easier...” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m jealous.”

“I suppose you are.”

Parsee didn’t say anything, and neither did Junko. A few footsteps behind her suggested that Parsee had turned to walk to the opposite side of the bridge. Junko payed no mind to the particulars, instead surveying the river from above, watching the currents roil below. Even with the irritable youkai behind her, she found the bridge quite relaxing; perhaps the most she had felt since arriving in the Former Hell. The place had been rather… frenetic for her tastes.  Lively, enthusiastic, and an utter mess.

Which, naturally, made it the perfect starting point for some future action against Chang’e. Everything about the Former Hell would infuriate Chang’e’s pedantic jailors, if only Junko could brink it to bear against them. That would come in time, certainly. For now she could observe and lay the foundations of the scheme, wait for another opportunity to prevent itself. Here she could lie in wait and think, cons-

Her consideration was cut rather short by a loud yell from back towards the city. “Yo, Parsee!” Junko had heard the voice before, but not well or long enough to place it immediately. “Got some good booze and a friend to meet ya!” Junko slowly turned to face the oncoming voice, and recognised the oni from before, swinging a large bottle of sake in one hand and trailed closely by a smiling Hecatia.

The oni’s long strides brought her to the bridge quickly, with Hecatia half-jogging to keep pace. Parsee had walked a measured to meet her partway there, and quietly linked hands with the much taller woman as she turned back to the bridge. “Ah, you’re Hecatia’s lady, right? Saw you earlier!” The oni stormed up to Junko, a boisterous grin plastered on her face and her free hand outstreched. “Name’s Yuugi. You picked a good spot to hang out; like I always say, go to the city for the parties, and the bridge for the company!” She pulled Parsee in closer, and Junko picked out a slight blush on the much smaller youkai’s face. Junko slowly reached out to take Yuugi’s hand; if the following shake had been any more intense, Junko felt as if she would have ended up in the river. “See, Heca? Told you it’d work out.”

H ecatia  stepped in between Junko and Yuugi, and  silently walked to stand next to Junko. She seemed relieved to see her, though from how she fidgeted with her skirt she also seemed nervous. Junko arched an eyebrow. Reading Hecatia was less difficult than others, but there were still times when Junko wasn’t sure quite how to react. Such things had never been instrumental to her ambitions in the past. Junko watched Hecatia, looking for some clue, as Yuugi led Parsee off towards the riverbank.

“I’m sorry I left you alone like that.” Hecatia finally said, still fidgeting. “I shouldn’t have-”

“Do not concern yourself.” Junko smiled to her. “I do not wish to impose upon your festivities.”

“You’re my g-” Hecatia paused. “My guest. The last thing you’re doing is imposing, I promise.” Hecatia’s hand was still twitching. Junko reached over and grasped it with her own, giving a light squeeze. She was familiar enough with the gesture; Hecatia had reassured her with a similar motion many times. Junko had hoped she had performed it correctly; from the small smile lighting Hecatia’s face, she was confident. Junko couldn’t help but smile back, and the two stood together for a moment, not saying a word.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Yuugi’s voice shattered the silence. “Come on, have a seat! There’s enough to go around!” Junko’s eyes snapped to the far riverbank, where the Yuugi and Parsee were already sitting on a large blanket. Parsee was already staring incredulously at a large, full-to-the-brim sake dish, while Yuugi filled her own. Hecatia smiled at her again and tugged Junko out across the bridge. Junko followed behind her closely, their hands still linked.

T hey broke the link to sit, Hecatia choosing to sit between Junko and Yuugi; she shifted a bit further towards Junko after meeting Parsee’s glare. “Come on, have a drink.” Yuugi pulled out another pair of bowls, somehow balancing her own on her knee long enough to pass them off to Junko and Hecatia and fill them completely from her barely-emptied bottle. “Now then, tell me everything!” Yuugi winked and flashed a big thumbs-up. “Far as I’m concerned, people’re more honest on riverbanks. A good drink doesn’t hurt either, ‘course. So...”

As Hecatia started talking, Junko looked up from the riverbank. In front of her was the total opposite of the pure, featureless wall she had seen as she walked away; the landscape was full of the bright, chaotic lights of the Former Hell’s capital, and occasional flares of danmaku spouting occasionally into the night. Taking another sip from her dish, she lay down on the blanket and stared out across the underground landscape. She felt Hecatia’s free hand fall gently atop her own.

Perhaps this occasion wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like doing a thing with these two pairings. I think Junko and Parsee have quite a bit in common, even if it'd take Yuugi and Hecatia doing most of the small talk for them to realise it.
> 
> (minor reference bonus: guess which show I just finished watching)


End file.
